


A Distant Echo

by GreekgeekSingsUndertale



Series: There's Always An Echo [1]
Category: Undertale
Genre: Echofell AU, F/F, F/M, Flowey is nice, Gaster back story, On the surface, Original au, Papyrus is a jerk, Partial many worlds theory, Resets, Sad, Sans is a softy, Science, Some death that I try to make sad, Timelines, echo flowers instead of golden flowers, everyone is Underfell, headcannons on AUs, puns, sadder, yet sadder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-14 00:20:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7991716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreekgeekSingsUndertale/pseuds/GreekgeekSingsUndertale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Echofell AU. An original AU where echo flowers grow on Frisk instead of golden flowers. Inspired by Flowerfell. </p><p>Sans thought this human looked strange. At least, he thought, humans shouldn't have an underground plant on their face. </p><p>When the skeleton and human first meet he kills her. But something is different...</p><p>How strange...</p><p>How strange...</p><p>"... I... Love... You..."</p><p>Now, on the surface, Sans tried to leave behind the world of monsters. When an old enemy comes a knocking, Sans must meet again with the person who he hates to save the person he loves. </p><p>If only he didn't look like a dork in a blue hoody.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. There is Always an Echo

**Author's Note:**

> Please give this a chance
> 
> Okay, this is an AU I made myself. It's called EchoFell, based off Flowerfell, and whenever Frisk dies an echo flower grows on her. 
> 
> Also, each chapter title will be a play on the word echo!

PROLOUGE: A DISTANT ECHO

The ruins' door opened for the first time in years. The last time it opened a human in a apron walked out. This time it was a teenage girl in a striped sweater. 

But something was off. 

Though, Sans, who was watching from in the forest, was pretty sure flowers aren't supposed to grow on humans. He noticed that aqua blue flowers were covering the girl's eyes. They looked almost like echo flowers from Waterfall. There was another flower in her ear, but it was gold. 

As the human walked, more like stumbled, to the bridge that Papyrus made, Sans decided to freak them out. With his red magic he broke a stick in the path, making a loud noise in the process. 

The human turned around quickly and saw nothing, then see whispered something. Sans could now see that her left eye is not completely covered and her chocolate brown eye was looking around crazily. 

The skeleton in the black jacket and red shirt continued to mess with the teen until she reached the bridge. The bridge is made of wood that looks like you could walk across, but when you step on it you fall into a pit. 

The girl stared at the bridge, like she expected it to do something. Sans decided that it was time to attack. 

He walked up behind her and said in a deep voice, "H U M A N, T U R N A R O U N D A N D S H A K E M Y H A N D."

She turned around slowly, the flowers glowing slightly, and shook the monster's hand that was outstretched. 

She was about to smile when a dozen bones slammed into her back, killing her in an instant. 

"It's kill or be killed," Sans thought to himself. He tried to get her soul, but vines blocked his hand. 

A sneer crossed the skeleton's face as he saw what caused the vines. The golden flower had a face and was returning the sneer. 

"Nice to see you again, your highness," he said mockingly. 

"Howdy, trash-bag," Flowey tried to hide his fear, he needed to last just a little longer. 

"Move aside and give me the soul," his eye glowed blood red, "maybe when we get to the surface I won't kill you."

The flower shrunk back, but he still blocked the humans soul. He then whispered. 

"Come on, Frisk, stay determined..."

Sans was suddenly back in the forest, the door to the ruins opened again. The human, Frisk, was now alive and was continuing like nothing happened. 

The skeleton saw that her left eye was completely covered, there was an extra flower. Frisk's arms were outstretched, trying not to bump into anything. She was blind. 

Just like last time, Sans went to meet the human at the bridge. Surprisingly, she turned around before he or Flowey said anything. 

"Don't you know how to greet a new pal," Frisk shook Sans' hand. 

When the bones came flying the human jumped to the left, without worry. The new echo flower spoke once the bones disappeared. 

"S H A K E M Y H A N D," a thump was heard after the repeated words. 

Those flowers were echo flowers, but the didn't repeat the last words spoken. The repeated the thing that killed the human. 

Frisk was blinded by the distant echo of death.


	2. Shadow of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans remembers getting his Flower.

A shadow is an echo, an echo of a person. Everyone has one, but Sans has two. 

After 3000 years, the monsters were finally released from their prison. Not by the king, but by a human!

Frisk fought bravely! Not by actually fighting and harming the creatures trying to kill them, but fighting to be kind to everyone. 

She was a strange human. Someone could stab her with a knife and she would just smile and forgives them. Even after she started getting those echo flowers she was still kind. 

Her favorite motto was-

I am determined to be kind! I am determined to be brave! I am determined to be what we should stand for! I am determined to do the right thing!

It was exactly a year after the monsters were free. Everyone was celebrating, everyone but Sans. 

Sans was in his house, in his usually jacket, and staring at a flower pot. 

The pot was decorated like a painting, it showed rivers running, plants bouncing, and crystals were in it to shine like stars. It was decorated like Waterfall, the place Frisk never saw. 

The human was blinded soon after arriving in the snowy woods, in the underground. So, she never saw Waterfall, Hotland, or New Home. 

Sans was with her, though. He described each area perfectly. In Waterfall there was a statue that played music and the skeleton and human would fall asleep to its melody. Frisk always said that if she could see, this is what she would want to see. 

In side the pot was an echo flower, but not a normal one. It shone brighter than the others and it radiates kindness, not sadness. 

Sans was remembering when he got that flower. Seconds before the barrier broke-

Flashback

Sans grasped Frisk's arm as he led her to the black door. They were in New Home, but it looked even worse than the Ruins, and they were about to fight Asgore. 

Sans hadn't changed. He was still in his red shirt, black jacket, and shorts. His teeth were still jagged. 

Frisk had changed a lot! She was now wearing an exact math to Sans' jacket. Also, the echo flowers that appeared when ever she died covered her whole body. The only part not covered was parts of the jacket/sweater, mouth, and a circle around her heart. The golden flower, Flowey, who was usually around her ear, was snuggled by her heart, one of the last places that she could feel. 

She was stumbling with the flowers around her legs as they entered the entrance to the barrier. Asgore was standing there, ready, in his red robe. It wasn't a nice red, like Frisk's soul, but a nasty blood red. 

He already had his blood red trident out. His cold eyes were staring at his former Judge. 

"Do you really want to go across your king, Sans?" He boomed. 

"A king is supposed to lead," the skeleton growled, "you've led nothing, except for killing humans. Even then you just stayed in this castle!"

"I still killed all the humans, I've been fighting for the freedom of my people!" Asgore was tightening his grip on his weapon. 

"MAYBE WE DON'T DESERVE TO BE FREE!" Sans shouted back, "have you ever thought about that? What happens when we get to the surface! We go to war and the humans will kill and beat us again! How about the six humans that you've killed? How are you any better than the humans? This is all because a couple of humans got scared and attacked your child!"

Flowey shuddered at the mention of the prince. It was true that monsters used to be super nice until Prince Asriel and the human, Princess Chara, died. Asgore declared war and all of the underground turned evil and heartless. Toriel grew cold and distant with no one and she went crazy with grief. 

6 humans, bravery, justice, kindness, patience, integrity, and perseverance, fell. 6 humans died. Now here they were, the last human needed to break the barrier. 

Sans took a breath, "maybe we're better off where we are. We have food, water, and shelter. We might not have the sun, but I doubt we can get good lives on the surface after all we did. How about we, for ONCE, let go of our hatred and go back to the days before Chara fell?"

Asgore glared at the two, "you know I can't do that. I know your HP and ATTACK, Sans, and I doubt the human as much. I can easily kill you. I doubt Papyrus would care that you're gone."

Sans flinched at the name. Papyrus has mention multiple times that he would've killed him if he wasn't his brother. 

After he got over his shock, he smirked, "do you remember when I became you're Judge? You chose me, because I'm the only one able to read LV and EXP. Did you really think I was stupid enough to take the possibility of getting killed by a powerful human without protection? You know my stats, not my abilities. You want a fight? Then be prepared to have a bad time!"

"Goodbye, then, Sans," a battle was started and Sans' and Frisk's souls were pulled out of their body. 

Frisk grasped Sans' arm and Flowey got ready for a fight. 

"Don't... Kill...," she stuttered. It was getting painful to talk. 

"Sorry, sweetheart," Sans hugged the blue glowing human, "I have to do what I have to do to keep you safe."

He looked at the golden flower, "protect her!"

Flowey nodded, summoning his bullets to surround Frisk. His magic at first was very weak, but now, with love and kindness, it was super powerful. 

The human tried to protest and almost ran into the bullets. Flowey then covered the inside of the cocoon with leaves, so she couldn't hurt herself. 

Sans, on the other hand, started to talk. 

"It's a beautiful day outside," his deep voice was empty of kindness, "birds are singing. On days like these, we should be burning in-"

He paused. 

"Wait," he grinned, "we're already there!"

"I don't want to hurt a fellow monster," Asgore said coldly, "this is your last chance to back down. Give me the human and I will forget this treachery."

"How about this as an answer," the skeleton snapped his figure and a Gaster Blaster. 

Asgore stared in terror at the skulls, "t-those were Gaster's. B-before he died!"

"So, you know about these and my old man?" Sans' smirk couldn't get any wider, "then you're gonna have a blast!"

The king of monsters' eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He quickly got over his fear and his face said that SPAREing was pointless. 

The next couple of moments was chaos. Sans sent blasters, bones, and turned the king's soul blue, while Asgore sent fire and tridents. 

After a while, Asgore was on his knees and Flowey released Frisk from her small prison. The flower guided the human over to the skeleton. She nearly fell on top of him before she steadied herself. 

"Sans... Please... Spare...," even though she was weak, her words were filled with determination. 

With that determination, a spare button appeared. Sans reluctantly pushed it and the battle ended. 

They were about to walk to the end of the barrier when Sans spoke to the king one last time. 

"Leave us alone," he growled, "never hurt Frisk again and call off this stupid war!" He didn't wait for an answer. 

After walking for a bit they stopped as twilight shined. It really was the end. 

"Ugh!" Frisk fell backwards and Sans was able to catch her. 

The monster wondered what was wrong when Frisk tried to crack a smile. 

"Looks like I've fallen for you, huh?" She pushed those words out. Her senses were over loading and she couldn't feel any more pain. 

Sans noticed a new flower. Over her heart a big bud was slowly budding. He held back tears, while Flowey was already crying. 

"This is no time for jokes, Frisk!" He clutched his sweetheart. 

"I'm sorry," she reached up to touch Sans' skull. Flowey wrapped around her head, his form of a hug. "But my time was up. Maybe it's for the best. Sans *cough* you do deserve to be free. It might not have been fair to kill those humans, but you still should be on the surface. Take my soul, I obviously don't need it."

She broke into a fit of coughs as the echo flower on her heart grew more. 

Frisk turned to Flowey, "thanks for being my first friend. I'm glad I met you!"

"Please don't die!" Flowey cried, "you can't leave me too!"

"I'm sorry, I'll tell Chara hi," she turned to Sans, "thanks for everything. If I didn't have you and Flowey I probably would've died, actually died, before I reached Snowdin."

"Don't leave me," the first of Sans' tears fell. 

"I... Love... You."

The final flower bloomed. It was a pity that it was so pretty. Frisk's soul rose out of the covered body and ran directly into the barrier, breaking it. 

A sound like breaking glass rang through out the underground. Once that happened Sans hugged the body of his dead sweetheart. 

Slowly, her body started to crumble. Just like a monster, she turned to dust, leaving behind the jacket, her sweater, and the final echo flower. 

Sans reached to pick up the flower and once it was touched Frisk voice played. 

"I love you."

Flashback over 

When he got to the surface the first thing he did was buy the pot for the flower. He did it so he could always hear her voice. 

Once everyone was free the two races, monster and human, didn't talk to each other. Neither wanted to even notice each other. So, the monster lived around the mountain with no one disturbing them. 

Asgore, after everything was settled, told the monsters about what Frisk did. He at least tried to make her sound like a hero, and left out the part about Sans, but most of the monsters ignored what he said. 

Sans, on the other hand, lived in a small house in the woods, away from everyone. No one was ever nice to him anyway, the Royal Guard teased him at his low stats, Papyrus screamed about how useless he was, and the rest ignored him. 

He was able to finally get away from his awful brother and lived a quiet life alone. He thought about asking Flowey to live with him, but he disappeared after the barrier broke. 

Now, he was sitting staring at the flower. Making it repeat the same words over and over. He had his shadow and Frisk's shadow. 

After a while, a knock was heard on the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told yall it was longer, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow. 
> 
> If yall have any ideas, like me know! I would love to hear them!
> 
> Also, I have a YouTube channel where I sing Undertale Original Lyrics!  
> https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCyzhAxkPMYknqbyY_8UUw-A
> 
> Another also, next chapter is called Repeated Lies.   
> See ya later!


	3. Repeated Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The enemy has come to play; can't he just say away?

Sans was wary, of course he would be! No one has ever come to his house. He told no one where he would be. 

He slowly and quietly moved towards the door and activated his magic. He could hear a thump as he made whatever was on the other side. 

"Go away!" He growled, unintentionally making his eyes dim. 

"Sans?" The skeleton stopped as a million thoughts raced through his head. 

He hadn't heard that voice since he last was in Snowdin. The voice belonged to the worst person he had ever know. 

"Go away, Papyrus," Sans forced his younger brother, with his levitation magic, to fly away from the small cabin. 

After silence for the next minute another knock, harder this time, rang on the door. 

Sans decided not to answer. The knocking continued. Soon, Papyrus got tired of waiting and-

WHAM!

He literally through the door off it’s hinges. The door flew to the other end of the house, which was the kitchen, breaking the oven. 

“You couldn't give me a break?” The pun left his mouth. 

The small skeleton was sitting in a chair, facing away from his brother, though he could tell that the monster was sneering at the joke. 

“I thought,” Sans continued, “I told you to leave!”

Papyrus took a breath, “I was worried about you.”

Sans chuckled, “yeah right. You never cared about me before. How did you find me? I kinda wanted this place to be a secret.”

“Asgore told me what happened,” the smaller skeleton silently cursed the king, “after that, I just had to search the forest. I knew you wouldn't go that far from the mountain.”

Sans turned his chair around and saw what his brother looked like after a year above ground. He was no longer in the pointy black armor, but a black leather jacket, a white shirt with the monster’s emblem in red, and red jeans. 

“So, what do you want?”

“I told you,” he said, “I was worried about you.”

“Bull” Sans sneered, “the last time you cared about me was when you were a kid! You've told me multiple times that you would kill me! So, go bite the dust!”

“I know about Frisk. I know that you fought the king!”

The monster’s eyes glared, “so, now you've come to kill me for my ‘betrayal’?” 

“I'm here to help,” the younger brother tried not to get angry. 

“Nothing to help.”

“How about you talk to me,” Papyrus suggested, “why are you here and not in town?”

“Maybe because everyone hates my non existent guts! I still don't know why you're here. Why, after a year, do you suddenly care?”

Papyrus was silent. Not saying anything. 

“That's right! You just need something don't you! Get out of my house! Get out of my life! And never come back! Unless you want to be the one dead!”

His older brother walked out the door, disappearing into the woods. 

Sans remembered the rare times that Papyrus tried to be nice to him. The monster repeated the same lies- I love you, I care about you- only because he wanted something. Sans was weak then, believing the lies, but not anymore. 

The monster sat, thinking. His brother would most likely be back and he didn't want to be here when he did. The skeleton thought about moving to a new house. 

He needed a walk to clear his head, so he went outside. He walked lazily down the path that no one but himself followed. He only saw a couple of monsters during his rare walks, all of them bunny monsters. 

After a bit, his thoughts drifted to the mysterious golden flower. Frisk always had him with her. It was like a symbiotic relations ship; Flowey had protection and he helped her get around.

At first, Sans hated the little buttercup. He was no fool. The skeleton knew that the flower had great power, but that was before Frisk fell. He slowly warmed up to Flowey and they were like friends. That is, until he disappeared. 

Sans knew who he really was. Prince Asriel of the Underground- deceased, but reborn through science and determination. But, the monster thought it better not to bring it up. Flowey indirectly started the war, after all. 

The monster thought about why the flower ran away. Probably the same reasons as himself, to get away from people. Before Frisk, he was a crying mess who was terrified of anyone in a ten foot circle. He's probably the same now.

Plop!

Sans turned around looking for the source of the noise. He saw just in time for a golden something to disappear into the ground and an echo flower to pop up. 

Quickly, Sans placed his head to its petals, listening. 

“Your house, HURRY!” A familiar high pitched voice rang. 

Sans broke into a dead sprint to his house. It looked just the same as before on the outside. On the inside everything was the same, except for one thing-

Frisk’s echo flower was gone!


	4. A Good Look In The Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans wonders what it would be like in a different timeline.

Who in the world would take Frisk’s flower?

This thought passed through Sans’ mind multiple times as he collapsed on the ground, crying. His sweetheart was taken from him again. 

Wait. 

Who knew where he was? Who knew what happened to Frisk? Who knew what she meant to him? Who was here recently?

“Papyrus!” The small skeleton growled, standing up. His left eye started to flare with determination. 

“You're gonna pay!”

Sans went to his closet and grabbed the only other jacket he owned, besides Frisk’s and the one he usually wore. He slipped it on, along with a white shirt, to make sure no one would recognize him. 

He looked at himself in the mirror.

“Man, I look like a dork!” He grimaced at his reflection, “I'd never thought I would wear this again.”

The reflection showed the monster in a puffy blue jacket. The hoody was lined with white fluff, same with the pockets. Over all, it made him look… cuddly. 

He sneered at the thought. He had gotten this jacket before Asriel had died. Before Papyrus was even born. He used to wear this all the time, but when the underground turned sour everyone started wearing red and black. 

Sans could remember when he first got it…

Flashback

Sans, even smaller than he was now, was standing over blueprints with weird symbols. They were for a machine to traverse the different timelines. The person who designed it was a big believer in the many worlds theory. 

“Sans?” A voice from the door of the lab asked. 

It belong to the young monsters father and employer, W. D. Gaster, or just Gaster. He was a tall skeleton in a black cloak with a white shirt underneath. 

Sans, with his above average smarts, worked with him as the Royal Scientist’s assistant, even though he was ten!

“Yeah, dad?” The kid looked up from the project. 

“Guess what day it is!” He hugged his son. 

The assistant looked at the clock, which read 12:01 A. M.

With shock, he realized what day it was now, “my birthday!” He jumped and hugged his dad. 

He was now 11! In monster culture that birthday meant he would get his own special attack. 

“Dad?” He said grinning like an idiot, “can I try to use my special attack?”

Gaster looked amused, “of course!”

Sans closed his eye sockets and concentrated. He heard a plop and looked at his attack. 

“YAY,” he squealed, “dad! I'm like you!”

He looked at his very own Gaster Blaster that glowed blue. 

“Good job, kiddo,” his father told him as the attack disappeared, “it even matches your present.”

Gaster handed Sans a box and the kid opened it. Inside was a blue jacket. 

“I love it!” Sans immediately put the jacket on, it was really comfy, “thank you!”

“Your welcome,” Gaster took his son’s hand, “we should get home. Your mom will love to see your new attack.”

Flashback over

After the two got home Sans opener more present, enjoying being 11. His mom, Calibri, told him the best new ever, at the time. He was getting a brother!

Sadly, she died in child birth. Gaster went crazy, he tried to finish his timeline machine to find a timeline where she was still alive. Somehow, he disappeared, including everyone who was in the lab at the time of his disappearance. 

For some reason no one that Sans knew remembered Gaster. So, he and Papyrus, only one years old, survived alone in their house. 

Then Asriel and Chara died. The underground went evil and Sans sadly lost his happy personality and became mean. Papyrus, surrounded by others, turned into the biggest jerk ever. 

As Sans looked in the mirror and thought-

“This is how it should've been.”

Like in another timeline, maybe Sans would have always worn this. Telling jokes and being happy. Papyrus would be cheery and innocent. Frisk would still be alive and the monsters would be free somehow. She would be the monsters’ ambassador and there would be no flowers. 

In another timeline, everything would be happy. Monsters and humans would actually talk to each other. Asgore would be a good leader and Toriel would be like her old self, baking pies and being motherly. Alphys would study science for the love of it and Undyne would be less intense. 

In another timeline, everyone would like Sans. No one would tease him for his low stats. He would tell jokes at Grillby’s and the MTT Resort. He could have fun with his brother. He and Frisk would be best friends, maybe even dating. 

If only this was another timeline. 

Sans took a good look in a mirror. He realized, if only one thing didn't happen, he would be in that timeline. He didn't know what would have to change for him to be in that paradise, but it didn't mattered anyway. 

Moving away from the mirror, he walked out of the empty door frame to find his sweetheart


	5. A Ghost Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans takes a walk through town looking like a dork.

Sans walked through Ebott Town. It was a fitting name, adding Asgore’s terrible naming and the human tradition of naming places after things. 

The skeleton didn't know what to expect. Maybe a post apocalyptic town with muggers. Or red brick buildings covered in the dust of the dead. 

Nope!

It looked like a town you would find in the middle of the forest, which it was. Cottages for houses along with a couple of shops and stores. A slightly bigger building made of grey stone stood at the edge of town, most likely Asgore’s. 

The monster’s thoughts went to the other timeline. Those building would be brighter, everyone would be smiling at each other and saying hi, no castle like thing would be there, Asgore would be humble. Sans would share a house with Papyrus, covering them in those Christmas lights that he used to like as a kid. 

This town was just a ghost of what it really could be. 

‘Stop it!’ Sans thought to himself, ‘that place doesn't exist. Better just accept the world this is!’

He looked at the other monsters. There were only five, they were all glaring at the monster in the blue jacket. They didn't know who he was, but they didn't like strangers, and no one was stranger than a guy in blue surrounded by red. 

Sans walked past the library. 

‘Good to see they fixed the sign,’ Sans thought, thinking about its underground equivalent. This place was a mix of Snowdin, the Ruins, and New Home. 

He started to wonder where he should look. Where are Papyrus take his sweetheart? 

His house. 

That was the monster’s first guess and started to look. He found an exact replica of his old living space. He called it a living space because it was never home. 

The only thing different was that there was no secret lab in the back. Well, Sans never told Papyrus about it, so he didn't know. 

As discreetly as he could, the monster pretending to tie his shoe, while looking in the window. No one was home. 

Where would he be?

Sans wanted to destroy the stupid house. He anger was about to exploded and it took all his might not to use his magic. 

Where would he-

BOOM!

“What the f-“ Nobody heard Sans’ voice, every monster in town, indoor or out, screamed basically the same thing. 

Sans looked around for the source of the noise. He found himself looking at a black building with the word LAB in red. 

He broke out into a sprint, for such a lazy bones he could really run, straight to the evil building. 

In his hurry, he didn't notice that the hood of the blue jacket fell off his face. Every monster, some were looking out the window to see where the noise came from, saw the families figure run. 

“Sans?” A bunch of confused citizens asked. 

They all thought he was dead! For not being seen in a year they thought he died somehow, now he was right outside their doors. 

“Why is he here?” A couple asked. 

Meanwhile, Grillby saw the his old customer and smiled. He was the only monster who hadn't tuned into a massive jerk and no one teased him about it. He was Sans only friend in the underground, even letting a human into the bar for him, and he was sad when the rumors started. 

Sans was at the front door of the lab and was confronted by a locked door. 

He destroyed it. 

A simple Gaster Blaster was summoned and he destroyed the door. Who cares? Certainly not him; all he cares about was his sweetheart. 

Inside was a replica of Alphys’ old lab back in the underground. The only thing different was the screen didn't show Frisk, it showed the echo flower. 

No one was there. 

“Where are you?” Sans growled, looking at the echo flower, still in the pot he made. 

He noticed a moldy green wall and floor in the corner of the screen. The monster looked at the secret elevator at the end of the room. 

The True Lab. 

He went into the elevator, that had two buttons- up and down. He pushed down. 

“I'm coming, sweetheart!” Sans felt a little hope for saving the flower…

But then it was crushed. The elevator stopped.


	6. Broken Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk wakes up.

Frisk POV

Frisk woke up from what seemed like a long dream. She felt around her, she was laying on a bed that was not the greatest. A blanket was over her. 

Slowly, the human opened her eyes. 

Wait. Eyes? She could see!

Memories came flooding back. The echo flowers, the deaths, the actual death- and Sans! 

Sans. The name repeated in her mind, along with one question. 

“Why am I alive?” Her voice echoed around the area she was in. 

Frisk found out she was lying on a hospital bed the color of mold green. She was in what look like a lab, again mold green. 

She looked down at her hands and body. No flowers to be seen. 

“Alphys!” A ruff voice growled in another room, “my brother is coming!”

“I know!” A higher pitched voice snapped, “but I have a plan.”

The voices started to walk to the room where Frisk was, so the girl pretended to be asleep. 

It didn't work. 

“I know you're awake!” Boney fingers shook Frisk, forcing her to open to her eyes. 

In front of her was a skeleton. Not Sans, no, this one was much taller and was wearing a tighter black jacket. Next to him was a yellow dinosaur with crazy eyes. 

“W-who are you?” Frisk stuttered out in fear. The only monsters Frisk ever saw were Sans, Toriel, and a couple of random monsters.

“I’m Papyrus and this is Alphys,” Frisk nearly fell out of the bed. 

Papyrus, Sans’ abusive brother, who killed her a bunch of times and was responsible for Frisk losing her ability to use her arm, was standing above her. Alphys, the royal scientist, had killed her, with the help of Mettaton, made her lose her right leg. 

“I see you remember us,” Papyrus nodded, “at least your memory is in tacked.”

“Why am I alive and where is Sans?” Frisk shook. Even though she believed anyone could be good, she didn't exactly trust them. 

“Sans is fine,” Papyrus scowled at the mention of his brother. 

“You're alive because we manufactured a body that looks like your old one,” Alphys started to explain, “then we got the echo flower you turned into when you died and took your essence. All we did was use magic to find your left over DNA and then combined it with your new body, stabbed you with determination, and now you're alive.”

She said it so quickly, like it was the easiest thing in the world to bring people back from the dead. But why did they have her echo flower. 

After she died, right before she forced her soul to fly into the barrier, she saw that he body turned into an echo flower. And if she knew Sans, she was sure that he would keep that flower till the day he died. 

“Why?” Frisk asked, shocking the monsters, “I know how you two. You both tried to kill me, so why bring me back to life?”

She believed in a bad person becoming good, but she didn't believe 180 turn in attitude. Even Sans took awhile to be kinder. 

They didn't say anything, trying to make up an excuse or shocked by her question, when a sound like an explosion came from the other room. 

“What the f-“ Papyrus screamed, “was that!”

Frisk shuddered, she had heard that type of explosion before. Back when they fought the king. 

Suddenly, Sans came running into the room and he glared at his brother. Frisk was confused why he was wearing a blue jacket and not his normal black one. The questions immediately left her mind when he summoned a Gaster Blaster at Papyrus. 

“I warned you!” His hatred was stronger than all the monsters in the underground. 

“Sans!” Frisk squeaked trying to get up as the monster noticed the alive human. 

She managed to get off the lab bed when she fell to the ground. It's been a long time since she had to use her legs. 

“Sweetheart?” Sans ran to her and helping her up. He then glared at Alphys, “what did you?”

“Shouldn't you be glad we brought her back?!” Alphys sneered. 

“Shouldn't you be glad that I haven't killed you yet?” He turned to Frisk, “are you really here?”

“Yes,” she hugged the small skeleton, “I missed you.”

“How?” He asked. 

“Alphys said she created me new body and got my essence out of the echo flower,” she tried to explain. Sans turned around quickly and ran to Papyrus. 

“That's why you broke into my house?” He summoned his brother’s soul and turned it blue, “to do this? Do you know how bad this could end up, she could have no soul and not feel anything!”

Frisk never thought she would see Papyrus have legitimate fear, not that she expected to see him at all. From Sans’ descriptions he was a monster not to feel fear, but now his eyes were full of it. Papyrus obliviously never knew how powerful his brother actually was. 

“What about that explosion, huh?” He continued to rant, “you could've blew up the city!”

An explosion? That must have happened before Frisk came back to life. 

“Frisk,” Sans walked back to the human and helped her walk a bit, “come on, I'm taking you somewhere safe. And”- he looked at the other monsters- “if you come anywhere near us again you won't just die. You'll suffer.”

He was about to walk a bit forward when he looked back at Alphys, “also, you need a new elevator. It's sort of blown up.”

The face on the dinosaur’s face was hilarious that both Sans and Frisk laughed. The human was glad to see Sans so happy. 

The next second they were in a cottage in the middle of the woods. Feeling woozy, Frisk fell onto a couch. 

“What was that?” Frisk questioned at the sudden teleportation. 

“I can't believe I just did that,” Sans was smiling wider than possible, “I haven't been able to teleport for years!”

Teleportation? Why not? Frisk shouldn't be surprised anymore. First she fell into a monster infested mountain, then she died and flowers grew on her, then she came back from what was supposed to be a permanent death, and now teleportation. 

“I'm gonna go get you some food,” Sans told her, “you must be hungry. Don't move, I don't want you to fall again.”

He walked into the kitchen and Frisk looked around his house. It was nice, but nothing attracted her attention until she saw a mirror right across from her. 

The reflection had brown hair, but it wasn't Frisk’s. The person in the mirror had a green and yellow sweater and blood red eyes. 

“Chara,” Frisk whispered as she stared at the broken reflection. 

“Greetings, Frisk,” she said bored, “glad to see you're still alive.”

“You're still here?” The human tried to be quiet so Sans wouldn't hear her. 

“I never left,” the reflection replied, “but I want to tell you something.”

“What?”

“I know how you can change all of this,” Chara said with a smile, determination in her eyes.


	7. Ripples In The Timeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and Chara hatch a plan.

“What do you mean?” Frisk was wary. 

“I know how we can get into a better timeline,” Chara grinned. 

“But I don't have any saves left,” the human tried to explain, but the demon shushed them. 

“But I do,” they explained, “I never went back to when I was alive, because I knew it would be pointless, but since I'm in you, you can change the timeline. Talk to Asgore, convince him to not lose hope. Do something to cause a small ripple to change it!”

Frisk thought about it for a moment, “why? Why are you willing to help me?”

Chara groaned, “because, no one here likes this timeline, excluding me! Come on, take the reset!”

Frisk felt a warm fuzzy feeling in her soul. She looked at the kitchen where Sans was. This will be for him, he deserved a better life. 

The human nodded, “let's go.”

She loaded Chara’s save point, which was labeled ‘Throne Room’. 

Frisk appeared in the middle of the throne room and quickly hid behind a column as King Asgore walked into the room, sitting down on the throne. 

He looked so different than when Frisk saw him. Instead of a blood red cloak it was purple and his face looked kinder. Right now, though, he was crying over the death of his son and daughter. 

Frisk started to speak, disguising her voice so he didn't know who she was, “my king?”

Asgore looked up, “who's there?”

“Nobody important,” Frisk lied, “I'm sorry for your loss. But, may I say something?”

“Of course,” the king answered. 

“Promise me that you won't lose hope,” she said, her voice cracking, “please? Everything will turn out all right!”

“I w-won't,” Asgore stood up, “I won't lose hope! Thank you, kind soul, we will some day get out of here and everything will get better. I must go address the people!”

Asgore left, not before looking around to find where the voice came from, but he didn't see anybody. Frisk sighed. 

“I hope this works,” Frisk whispered to Chara. 

“Chaos theory,” Chara giggled at her joke in Frisk’s mind, “it will work!”

Slowly, the human and the demon in her mind were sucked into the new timeline. 

The next thing she knew she was lying on golden flowers. She turned over and saw the hole she had fallen from. 

“Chara,” she croaked, in pain from the fall, wondering if the voice in her head was still there. 

“I'm still here,” the voice said, “now, I’m going to warn you. Things might be different, since we changed time before people turned to jerks and before Flowey was created, everyone will be different. Only me and you are the same and no one should remember us.”

“Okay,” Frisk sat up. 

She looked closely at the flowers. When she first fell these flowers were weeds, now they were beautiful golden flowers. 

“You know I'm buried under her?” Chara told her, “glad to see it looks better.”

The human walked to the end of the hall and through the gate. Like last time there was Flowey, but he looked better this time. His petals weren't ripped and he was bright and colorful. 

Flowey noticed her, “Howdy! I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower! You're new to the underground, aren't ya?”

Frisk nodded and smiled, interested in what her best friend was like in this timeline. 

“Guess little old me have to teach you how things work!” He continued to explain the functions of a soul. 

What stuck out to Frisk was this, “try to catch these little white friendliness pellets!”

What? He threw the bullets at her and Frisk dodged them. Was Flowey trying to kill her?

She kept dodging until a terrifying expression covered his face. 

“DIE!” He screamed and surrounded the human in bullets. 

“Flowey!” Frisk was crying, “you don't want to do this!”

Suddenly, a fire ball hit the flower and he disappeared. Toriel appeared. 

“What a poor terrible creature,” she smiled at the child. 

Frisk couldn't help smiling too. She followed Toriel through the Ruins and somewhere she left her alone for a bit. 

“It's nice to see mom back to her old self,” Chara cried in Frisk’s mind. 

When they walked into the next room they got a call from Toriel. 

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Frisk paused, “mom.”

Toriel was so happy when Frisk called her that. The human continued through the Ruins, meeting monsters and chatting with. She didn't die once. 

But, she did find save points. They looked different, though. The old ones had a crack in them and they were dull. Now, there were no cracks and they glowed brighter than the sun. 

After a while and after an encounter with Toriel they started a fight in her basement. 

Unlike like last time, Toriel wasn't out of her mind with grief. Soon, Frisk was able to spare her. 

“Goodbye, my child,” she hugged the human and left. 

Frisk stared at the Ruins’ exit. She wondered what Sans was like, because she was about to meet him. 

“Chara,” she whispered, “do you think Sans will still like me in this timeline?”

“He won't kill you on sight is my guess,” she joked, but then got serious, “you'll be fine, it's time to leave.”

Frisk pushed open the door and was hit by a cold wind. 

“Being able to make this a better timeline,” the demon said in her head, “it fills you with determination!”


	8. No Longer An Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Story is done, but a sequel called Haunting Ghosts will come soon! It will be part two in There's Always An Echo series!
> 
> If you want to find me I have a YouTube channel called Greekgeek Sings Undertale where I sing original lyrics to Undertale's soundtrack. I also have a fanfiction.net account under the name Greekgeek2014. I'm on Undertale Amino under the name Script the Skeleton. 
> 
> Thanks and hope to see you in the sequel!

The snow was as cold as Frisk remembered, but it was nicer now. It was like a Christmas card come to life. 

The human walked down the snowy path and right to the stick that was for some reason also there. Frisk could never understand why she could carry a stick in her inventory, but couldn't carry this one. 

Once she passed it, a loud snap rang out and she looked backward. She could see faint wisps of blue magic surrounding it. 

Wait. Blue?

That different, but maybe good. The whole underground was red before, including everyone's magic, maybe it changed. 

She continued to walk forward until she stopped at Papyrus’ gate. Frisk looked around at the bridge, before you could clearly see a pit with spikes, now it was just a pile of snow. 

Bump. 

Bump. 

Bump. 

That was Sans’ cue. Any moment now he will speak and Frisk will find out if this was all worth it. 

“Human,” his voice was still as harsh, Frisk started to worry, “don't you know how to greet a new pal? Turn around and shake my hand.”

The moment of truth. Slowly, Frisk turned around. The shadow that enclosed Sans was the same shape as before. She outstretched her hand, waiting for death. 

POGAHEYEIJDHEHEHHSKT!

What the? Something, that Frisk was pretty sure was a whoopee cushion, made a noise like a fart the moment she shook the skeletons hand. 

“Hahaha,” Sans laughed, “whoopee cushion in the hand trick! Always a classic!”

The shadow that surrounded him disappeared. In its place was a skeleton with a bright smile, no jagged teeth to be seen. He wore a blue jacket with white fluff on the hood and pink slippers. 

It worked! Frisk had to restrain herself from jumping into Sans’ arms. He didn't know her yet and she had to pretend not to know him. 

“Haha,” Frisk chuckled. 

“Name’s Sans,” Sans smiled cheerily. 

“Frisk!” She thought of a pun she heard before, “it's very ‘ice to meet you!”

He burst out in laughter, “that's a good one kiddo! Hey, I have I met you before? You seem familiar.”

Frisk’s eyes widened, but quickly his her surprise and lied, “nope, never met you before.”

“Sorry I asked,” he apologized, “anyway…”

Frisk listened to what he had to say about his brother and couple of other things. She finally knew she fixed the timeline. 

Though an echo of the old timeline was still there. But, this timeline was no longer an echo of what it was meant to be.


End file.
